Month: June 2017

I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Practice makes perfect.” This adage holds much truth and wisdom. The idea is if I do something over and over again, then I will achieve whatever goal I set out to reach. This modern proverb wasn’t lost on the early church fathers and mothers. One father linked time in mediation with immediate action so that nothing was lost. He wrote:

“After a time of meditation, immediately begin to put into practice the resolutions you have made. Don’t wait another day to get started. Without this application, meditation may be useless or even detrimental. Meditate on a virtue without practicing it, and you will mislead yourself into believing that you have actually become someone you are not. If I have resolved to win the heart of my enemy by being gentle toward that person, I will try to find a way this very day to be friendly to him. If I am not able to see that person face to face, I will at least pray for him.”

Living as a Christian is practicing our faith. The more we do it, the more mature we become which yields greater affinity with Christ. The practicing requires both meditation (reflection) AND follow-through (action). Begin this week! sk the Holy Spirit to speak to you during your prayers and to help you follow through as you walk with Him.

“What do I really desire from Christ?” Have you ever thought of that question? William Law, an English mystical clergyman, answered it this way:

How is it that Christ helped the lame and the blind, the lunatic and the leper, the publican and sinner? It is because of their desire for it. They came in authentic faith. Christ responded to them, “Your faith has made you well.” Therefore, what we really desire is the real issue.

Law would say, they wanted Christ for the next world and for the current world. They wanted a changed life so that everything is altered: a new way of thinking, acting, and speaking. This change is so radical that the blind see, the lame walk, and the mute speak.

He would continue by stating that being saved is nothing other than being made like Jesus. It is to gain his humility, meekness, and self-denial. It involves doing God’s will and seeking to please God alone. He would often wonder that if one is not able to plead with the same intensity of the sick (who came to Christ), then maybe one needs to consider if they really want Christ as their savior.

Summer provides an opportunity for Sabbath. Many will frequent the beach, the mountains, or some other destination for needed rest and relaxation. During these breaks, we are afforded the opportunity to recharge our bodies, physically, mentality, emotionally, and relationally. Frankly, we need it. At the same time, don’t neglect your spirituality. Sabbath breaks weren’t designed to be an absence of a spiritual component. From the very beginning, God and Sabbath are linked. We need to take a break from our normal routine because we are more than a commodity. People are not things. Sabbath reinforces this core understanding of how God values a person.

Therefore, as you travel this summer, look for spiritual opportunities to stay connected. Here are a few to consider:

Worship—Perhaps there is a church near to where you are traveling. If not, don’t forget our St. Paul’s online ministry. You can live stream our worship services or watch one that has been archived.